gun rights

Consumers, Retailers, and Manufacturers Asked to Weigh in on Machine Gun Classification

Presumably prompted almost exclusively by (or, at least, jumping at the “convenient” excuse of) their use in the October 1, 2017 attack on Route 91 Harvest Festival concert in Las Vegas, the BATFE is now seeking comments from the public regarding new regulations, potentially including reclassification as machine guns, on firearm accessories known as bump stocks.

In the wake of the attack, which has since spawned no shortage of conspiracy theories thanks to the dearth of officially released details, there was a brief initial outcry calling for increased regulation before quickly fading from the news. Some of those calls even came from unexpected sources, such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and businesses who make their money by renting fully automatic firearms to tourists.

Now, the Department of Justice is contemplating a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would interpret the statutory definition of “machinegun” in the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) to clarify whether bump stocks, fall within that definition. Before issuing such an NPRM, the Department and ATF are soliciting comments from the public and industry regarding the nature and scope of the market for these devices, giving citizens the opportunity to weigh in on the topic.

The House is expected to vote as early as this week on H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017. Currently varying state-by-state concealed carry laws are making unwitting criminals out of law-abiding firearms owners for simply making a wrong traffic turn. There is no justification for individuals’ Constitutional rights to end at the border of their states. This bill would provide for reciprocity for the carrying of certain concealed firearms, allow certain off-duty law enforcement officers and retired law enforcement officers to conceal carry in a school zone, and interstate carrying of firearms by federal judges.

This bill, as amended, also includes the Fix NICS Act. There are currently several states and some federal agencies withholding applicable disqualifying records that if entered into the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) would help prevent prohibited persons from being able to purchase firearms from a federally licensed firearms retailer. The Fix NICS Act, which builds off of the successes of NSSF’s FixNICS campaign, would improve the current system and ensure background checks are accurate and reliable.

Lastly, this measure calls on the Department of Justice to report to Congress on the number of times a bump stock has been used in the commission of a crime.

Please take this opportunity to email or call today to urge your U.S. Representatives to vote for H.R.38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, as amended.

Have you noticed that all the hot takes about the supposed need for more gun control have something in common? Whether it’s a call to limit gun ownership to two firearms or a desire to ban firearms completely, America’s anti-gun pundits have no shortage of different “solutions” they’d like to see turned into laws. But not many of them seem particularly eager to talk about what it would take to actually enforce those laws, or maybe they haven’t even considered that aspect of legislation. All we have to do is a pass a law, apparently. Enforcement is optional.

In the real world, of course, it doesn’t work that way. Now, even some gun control advocates are having to reluctantly accept the fact that passing a gun control law doesn’t automatically lead to less crime. Recently, anti-gun researcher Garen Wintemute took a look at “universal” background check laws in Washington, Colorado and Delaware. All three states passed similar laws in 2013, and Wintemute wanted to see if the laws had led to an increase in the number of background checks. As it turns out, the answer was “no,” at least for Washington and Colorado. Universal background check laws clearly don’t lead to universal background checks for every transfer of a firearm. Gun owners know this, and we’ve tried to point this out to anti-gun activists on many occasions, but they needed to see the science. Now they have.

Wintemute and others are now trying to claim that the problem with the “universal” background check laws can be fixed with “more assertive enforcement.” Yet the study’s authors can’t really point to more assertive enforcement in Delaware, even though it did see an increase in background checks for both handguns and long guns. What would “more assertive enforcement” look like, anyway? It’s a pretty imprecise phrase for a man of science like Wintemute to throw around without offering up specific examples. Continue reading →

In the wake of the awful terrorist attack carried out on concert-goers in Las Vegas, a local firearms playground issued the statement below, throwing the Second Amendment under the bus in favor of increased regulations on law abiding citizens.

We find this statement to be reprehensible and 100% counter to the words and intent of the United States Constitution and the Second Amendment contained in the Bill of Rights.

The Second Amendment protections of the right to keep and bear arms is not intended to protect The People’s ability to hunt, or to goof off with rented firearms that they view as “toys” on gun a playground out in the desert. Likewise, as we have seen time and time again with various attempts at regulating behavior through the regulation of goods, restrictions on those protected rights would not, and could not, prevent madmen from carrying out their twisted agendas.

Good for them for shutting down for a couple of days out of respect for the victims and for promoting blood donation. Good for them for making a “private” monetary donation to a victims fund (that they boast about in a press release). But pushing for tighter restrictions, testing requirements for gun owners, mandatory sentencing, and increased regulation? Congratulations on getting a few minutes of the spotlight by jumping into the media frenzy on this news cycle’s topic du jour, and enjoy the lasting effects of trashing the very mechanism that (barely) allows you to operate your business.

Press Alert issued by Machine Gun Vegas 12:00, 10/2/2017:

On behalf of MGV, we are deeply saddened for the victims and families affected by last night’s activities and absolutely sickened by the behavior of the individual who committed a sheer act of violence on our community. We realize there will be many sensitivities to firearms and their misuse, and we would like to address a few points as a business that offers firearms experiences in a safe, controlled environment in Las Vegas. We believe, as we always have, that there should absolutely be more stringent control on the types of firearms private individuals can own and the processes they must go through in order to own those firearms. There were many factors contributing to this tragic event, but there is no doubt that the shooter’s ability to inflict so many casualties was heavily due to the types of weapons he had access to. MGV agrees that the NRA, Federal Government and individual states have a responsibility to continue to maximize efforts to keep these firearms out of the hands of the wrong people.

We believe that responsible gun ownership is attainable through the application of common sense, more stringent vetting and background checks, dramatically increased mandatory sentencing for gun offences and increased testing standards for gun owners.

In light of the recent tragedy, Machine Guns Vegas feels it’s inappropriate to be open today (10/2) and tomorrow (10/3) in respect for the injured, lives lost and families affected by this senseless act. MGV has refunded all customers who have made reservations on 10/2/17 & 10/3/17. MGV’s parent company, The Compound LLC has also made a private donation to Clark County Commission Chair Steve Sisolak’s Las Vegas Victim’s Fund GoFundMe Campaign in an effort to assist those in need.

A portion of proceeds following our closure today will benefit The Las Vegas operations of United Blood Services, a Blood Systems blood center, which provided blood and blood products to area hospitals treating victims of the Oct. 1 concert shooting. United Blood Services continues to assess the needs and stands ready to support hospitals with ongoing blood product needs. To schedule a blood donation appointment, please visit www.bloodhero.com.

Fact Checking the Washington Post on SHARE Act

A recent piece in the Washington Post on the SHARE Act, legislation in Congress aimed at protecting the rights of America’s sportsmen and women, was fake news at its worst.

Washington Post Fake News:

Under the Share Act, hunters would “load their automatic weapons with armor-piercing bullets, strap on silencers, head off to the picnic grounds on nearby public lakes — and start shooting.”

The Facts:

Automatic Weapons

It is generally unlawful in every state to hunt with fully automatic firearms. Such weapons are highly restricted and very rare due to the 1986 ban on their manufacture or importation. The SHARE Act doesn’t change this.

“Armor piercing bullets”

The current interpretation of the federal law on “armor piercing ammunition” substantially limits the availability of certain non-toxic projectiles for hunting ammunition. The law, as originally passed by Congress in 1986, was never meant to apply to projectiles that were intended for use in a rifle or shotgun. The SHARE Act simply clarifies congressional intent and ensures that the law is not misinterpreted by future administrations.

Picnic grounds and public lakes

Laws restrict hunting and shooting to designated areas on public lands. You can’t just go to any casual “picnic ground” and “start shooting.” Continue reading →

The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) commends the House Committee on Natural Resources for markup and passage of H.R. 3668, the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act. Under the successful leadership of Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Subcommittee Chairman Tom McClintock (R-CA), the SHARE Act now moves to the full U.S. House of Representatives.

“Today marks an important step in protecting the Second Amendment freedoms of America’s hunters and sportsmen and strengthening our outdoor heritage,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director, NRA-ILA. “The SHARE Act will cut burdensome red tape that restricts millions of hunters and sportsmen.”

The bill secures access to Federal public lands for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting and includes the Hearing Protection Act (HPA). The HPA is an important safety-oriented aspect of the bill that will help protect the hearing of America’s hunters by eliminating expensive and excessive regulations on suppressors. Other key provisions include:

Securing the future of hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting by increasing access to federal public lands.

Strengthening protections for carrying firearms on land managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Removing the undefined and antiquated “sporting purposes test”, which opens the door to arbitrary ammunition bans.

Returning wildlife management of the gray wolf back to states adversely affected by rising populations.

“I would like to thank Chairman Rob Bishop and Subcommittee Chairman Tom McClintock for their leadership and critical roles in ensuring committee passage of the SHARE Act. Thanks to their efforts, we are one step closer to the day that all Americans will have better access to our outdoor heritage and the tools that ensure the safety of hunters and sportsmen alike,” concluded Cox.